Other Pictures: Anonymous Photographs from the Thomas Walther Collection

This isn't a book for those in search of precisely composed and exposed photography of traditionally museum-worthy subjects. These images are for those who thrive on surprise and the accidental. Mysterious, inexplicable, impenetrable, they're full of wonder if you open your eyes. And the presentation is similarly serendipitous, avoiding categories to offer a better sense of the unexpected images one might find at at flea market. This is one of my very favorite photography books, and belongs on the shelf os anyone interested at all in found or vernacular photography.

There is nothing here of artistic or camp value, and certainly not nostalgia. Out of focus, overexposed junk. What a farce! When I think what this guy could have done...terrible disappointment.

The photographs are part of the Thomas Walther collection, which is assembled after endless search in flea markets, junk stores, etc. It is the accompanying catalogue of the exhibition with the same name, which has been taken place in different places around the world. I got this copy when visiting the exhibition in Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney.These found photos dated from 1910 and 1960, which were taken by anonymous individuals. Images are personal, intimate, and full of humour. Out of its context, it provides a means of collective memory of our past. Perfect match if you like second-handed stuff, junks, etc